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Text Scrivener Blooms walked out of Canterlot University with a sour look on his face, Barry on one side and Luna on the other. The literary agent was grinning despite a clear effort not to, and Luna had her own bright and cheerful expression on, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Oh come now, Scrivy, 'twas an honest answer to the question!” “Luna, the kid asked: 'what's it like with two mares?' He did not ask, I repeat, he did not ask: 'What's it like in bed with two mares.'” Scrivener said crankily as he halted, and Luna laughed before leaning in and dropping her head against him, and Scrivener mumbled as he reached up to yank his tie loose from around his neck and open one of the top buttons of the silk shirt beneath his rumpled suit jacket. “Let's please just walk back to Subterra, okay?” “Hey, pal, come on! That was a magnificent sale in there!” Barry extolled, bouncing on his hooves and grinning widely. “And I gotta say, I just gotta say, lady, you really, really know how to rile a crowd up when you want to. But did those kids ever just eat it up!” “Well, Barry, I like to think that I am very charismatic.” Luna said positively, straightening and grinning as she posed for a moment with a wink. “Besides, mares can be just as awful as stallions, one must need merely know what strings to play. And I do so adore playing mares like strings.” She licked her lips slowly, and Barry stared at her for a few moments, mouthing wordlessly before Scrivener sighed and rolled his eyes, striding quickly onwards and muttering: “I don't like other ponies. I don't like Literature classes. They're perverted. Everything gets turned into a metaphor for vaginas, you write a poem about a flower blooming and no, it can't be because you happened to be sitting in the garden one day and the Royal Court was rushing you for a poem so you wrote a poem about one of the flowers. The poem's clearly really about a vagina. A big, blossoming vagina.” Barry only stared at Scrivener as Luna giggled childishly, following along beside him before she cleared her throat several times when he glared over his shoulder at her, the three heading towards a path leading through a field before the mare asked seriously: “And what of the penises, Scrivener Blooms?” “Standing lonely and desolate, jutting from the virgin soil, smelling of the sea that coats their prodigious girth.” Scrivener intoned ironically, and when Luna began to giggle madly again and Barry stared at him, the charcoal stallion looked moodily over his shoulder at the lanky earth pony and said dryly: “That's from a poem about those scary totems out facing towards the eastern sea. Writers are perverts.” “Thou generalizes too much, Scrivener Blooms! And thou curses others too often for thy own sins.” Luna scolded, then she paused before grinning at him, licking her lips slowly. “Now tell me more of these mighty goliath pillars.” “I hate you.” Scrivener muttered, and Luna laughed as Barry shook his head, but smiled all the same. Then the charcoal stallion sighed before he asked finally: “So now that I've been a good little colt and actually went and did that reading and question session for the university... does that mean we're done now?” “Whoa, whoa, slow down champ.” Barry said pointedly, and he shifted awkwardly before saying delicately: “I know that you have a lot on your plate right now, sport, but- dammit, oh hell!” Barry yelped and staggered backwards, and Scrivener and Luna both halted and turned towards him with surprise as the lanky earth pony rose a front hoof, then cursed and leapt backwards before stumbling to the side, looking fearfully down at several Silverbacks. The nasty little insects were standing tense, their poisonous stingers raised, and Scrivener grimaced a bit before Barry yelled in a strangled voice: “One of them bit me! One of the nasty little bastards bit me!” “Did it bite you or did it sting you?” Scrivener asked quickly, making a face as he looked up at the pale, almost-hyperventilating literary agent, and Barry whined through his teeth before holding his hoof out, showing off an ugly bruise and a nasty little cut on his ankle that was actually bleeding. And the charcoal stallion blinked in surprise at this before Luna stepped around him and growled down at the insects... but then frowned when they trembled, but didn't flee as they often did when Luna approached. “Someone must have riled these guys up, they're-” He didn't get a chance to finish, as the Silverbacks skittered around and two of them threw themselves at Luna's face. The sapphire mare cursed as she leapt backwards in shock, managing to swat one backwards, but the nasty little bugs immediately turned their attention towards Scrivener Blooms, and the charcoal stallion stomped at them and staggered backwards with a wince. Then he yelled in surprise and disgust as one of the Silverbacks managed to leap up and snag into his body, its sharp little claws tearing against his skin as it skittered eagerly over him. Scrivener panicked a little as he grabbed at himself wildly, and Barry hurried forwards, meaning to be helpful... but then only screamed girlishly when a Silverback managed to leap up on him as well, the lanky earth pony dancing around in a circle before squealing when it suddenly bit deep into his side and stabbed its stinger fiercely down into him. Barry flopped over, rolling back and forth with a howl of pain as he tried to dislodge it, and Luna cursed as she simply flicked her horn with a growl of frustration and incinerated the bug still doggedly charging at her in a blast of blue flames. She hurried towards Barry as Scrivener continued to panic... but when she felt a bolt of pain twist through her body, she immediately abandoned the agent for Scrivener Blooms, despite the fact Barry was howling like he was being murdered and Scrivener had barely let out a hiss when the Silverback clamped onto his shoulder. Its jaws were buried through his flesh and its stringer had plunged deep, and Luna winced as she inspected the little silver insect quickly. It was clinging like a tick, body pulsing slowly as it tried to drink Scrivener's blood, while likely injecting its own toxin into the earth pony at the same time. She shifted back and forth on her hooves as she cursed, wondering what to do as Scrivener shivered at the surprising amount of pain pulsing through his body from the nasty little thing on his shoulder. But a moment later, the Silverback suddenly convulsed, and its gleaming body seemed to lose some of its color as it shriveled up and toppled free, landing with a splatter on its back. And only a moment later, Barry's squealing died down to whimpers as the Silverback preying on him tore itself free from his body with a small burst of blood, before the fattened insect rushed off into the bushes on the side of the path they had been following. Scrivener breathed quietly in and out, his eyes closed and head bowed, and Luna studied him silently before her eyes roved to the wound visible through his torn suit: a wound that was dripping not red blood, but black liquid corruption. And Scrivener's eyes slowly opened before he glanced towards this, and then sighed softly as poisonous blackness bubbled up through the wound... and before their very eyes, hardened into flesh. Scrivener reached up and touched this spot absently: it felt a little sensitive, but even that was already fading quickly. And he guessed one of the other perks of having this dark stuff in his bloodstream was that it apparently was more than enough to keep him safe from these little monsters... before he looked up moodily as Barry asked in a whisper: “What... what the hell is...” “Do you think I just made up all that stuff in the books, Barry?” Scrivener asked dryly, then he sighed a little and poked at his suit, mumbling: “I actually liked this jacket, too. I guess I'll have to see if Rarity can patch it for me.” “Yes...” Luna murmured, her eyes staring for a few moments at Scrivener's shoulder, and the stallion blushed a little as he glanced up at her awkwardly before the sapphire mare flushed and shook her head hurriedly, clearing her throat and quickly turning her eyes to Barry. “Thou art an idiot. Come, get up, get up, cease thy whining and whimpering!” “It really hurts! And... and it took me by surprise.” Barry complained, even as he carefully sat up... then groaned and shook his head out, looking back at his side and shivering at the sight of his discolored coat and the deep, ugly wound. “Oh, oh hell, champ, I... I think I gotta see a doctor...” Luna only grunted, then looked apprehensively at Scrivener, but the stallion only shook his head before moodily kicking the corpse of the Silverback towards the bushes. “You better heal Barry or at least numb the wound, we might as well have someone in Subterra look at him. I've never seen these things so aggressive before, though...” Luna nodded hesitantly, and Barry paled at this, looking up and rasping: “Wait, treatment in Subterra? Are you out of your mind? Those demons might eat me!” “I shall mince thee up into tiny pieces and gobble thee down if thou does not shut up.” Luna snapped, and Barry quailed back before the sapphire mare blushed a little and glanced embarrassedly over her shoulder when Scrivener gave her a pointed look. “Oh... fine. Perhaps I am... short-tempered now, 'tis because of.. of the shock, that is all.” She shook her head quickly, then reached down and hauled Barry to his hooves... before yelling loudly and leaping backwards with a curse of disgust when Barry's head wrenched forwards and he vomited loudly and painfully. He began to topple forwards as his eyes rolled up in his head, but Luna sighed and reached out to catch him by the face with one hoof and shoved him firmly to the side. He still fell heavily, coughing weakly, but at least didn't end up falling in his own bile as she mumbled: “Wondrous. Just absolutely wondrous.” Luna's horn glowed as she moodily looked down at Barry, before the discolored wound visible through his ripped clothes burned with the same light, and then Barry yelped and spasmed, eyes snapping open as he was painfully returned to consciousness before Luna muttered: “Hold thyself still, little loudspeaker, or the pain will be much the worse... I can cleanse thy body of impurities but such things are not done without a little bit of cost.” Barry gritted his teeth and whimpered loudly through them, and Scrivener winced a bit, trying to send soothing thoughts to Luna as he strode up behind her. He rose a hoof, then hesitated before finally stroking through her mane, and Luna shivered as she closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards... and even as her horn continued to glow and she concentrated her magic, for a moment, it was like they were the only two ponies for miles around, as they traded apologies and recriminations in silence. Then Luna and Scrivener both glanced up in surprise as there was a third presence... and Luna smiled embarrassedly after a moment before she glanced at Scrivener, and he nodded as he closed his eyes and took a slow breath, focusing and sending out a soothing thought in return to Twilight Sparkle's worried mental question: We're okay. We just had... a little run in with some angry bugs, that's all. There was silence for a moment, and then Twilight's voice said quietly in his mind: I... I can feel your emotions, and Luna's too. I can... almost see what happened, even... Scrivener smiled a bit, then closed his eyes and concentrated on the recent memories, making them brighter in his mind, and he felt Twilight's presence caress over his thoughts before it withdrew quickly. There was a sense of embarrassment, of fear that she had reached in too far, and yet also a hunger for more and... something else. The stallion shifted a bit: he couldn't make it out, and Twilight's presence had faded. Her link with them was a little different than his with Luna's, after all: he and Luna shared one mixed soul, while together, his and Luna's physical bodies acted as the containers for Twilight's spiritual essence. Living phylacteries, in other words... if they were hurt, Twilight felt their pain like it was her own. If they sent out a thought to her, she could hear them clearly. And if they ordered her to do something... But neither of them would ever do that. And both of them always left their minds unguarded to Twilight Sparkle, had sworn to her they would never keep any thought, any emotion from her, even when they wanted to. They cherished the link with her, and adored her, even if they were both scared of... what Twilight might think of them at times. It was stupid: Scrivener, Luna and Twilight had been... together... for something like twenty-seven, twenty-eight years, and that was when they didn't include the near-decade they had been gone for. She had known them inside and out long before she was a Lich, and long before her original phylactery had been destroyed and essence transferred to them. But... all the same, Scrivener and Luna feared it, because they were both well-aware that... they weren't the greatest candidates out there for either relationship or 'good pony' material. Luna glanced towards Scrivener with a faint smile as the glow finally died out from around her horn, and Barry gasped weakly on the ground, his eyes closed, his body shivering. Scrivener gazed back at Luna for a few moments, trading emotions and thoughts with her silently: hopes, fears, dreams, whispers... and then finally, the stallion turned his eyes to Barry and asked quietly: “Can you stand? Or do you need a hoof?” “The polite thing to do would be to offer me one anyway.” Barry mumbled, and when Scrivener sighed tiredly, the agent winced before he carefully wriggled his hooves beneath him, then rasped and forced himself slowly, tediously up to his hooves with a groan of pain. “Nope, nope, I... I got it...” “Good. If you can stand on your own then it means the poison didn't paralyze your organs or muscles.” Scrivener remarked mildly, and Barry stared as his limbs trembled a little beneath him, his mouth working for a moment before the stallion gestured absently with his head towards the sapphire mare as she grinned a little. “Luna's magic can purify your bloodstream, but it can't do anything about the damages the poison causes on the way. But it looks like we healed you before it could really work in too deep.” “Oh. Oh good.” Barry said weakly, and then he hesitated before looking lamely at Scrivener and saying finally: “So you... you're... you're really not... you're really a Clockwork Pony, aren't you?” Luna looked almost pleadingly over at Scrivener, and the earth pony looked at her sourly in response, saying dryly: “I'm not doing it. But... I am, yes. I'm glad you noticed that.” The charcoal stallion reached up and touched his shoulder absently, then shook his head quickly as he muttered: “Anyway, Barry, you can... go home or... come with us to Subterra if you really want to, I guess, we can get someone to give you something to help with your whole... not... goodness.” Scrivener halted lamely, but Barry nodded awkwardly and reached up to nervously touch his side, wincing a bit before he said awkwardly: “Thank you, though, champ and uh... dame. Lady. Babe. Girl-champ?” “Girl-champ.” Luna looked thoughtful for a few moments, then simply shrugged agreeably, and Scrivener sighed tiredly before she turned. “Well, I have been called worse. Come, though, both of thee. Let us make for Subterra, and perhaps Barry shall prove less annoying on the way. Although if thou must applaud me, in the future refer to me as 'Valkyrie.'” “You got it, Valk.” Barry said positively, and Luna rolled her eyes but smiled slightly as Scrivener Blooms shook his head with amusement, the earth pony agent lagging a little behind them but thankfully not complaining too much. As they were heading down the streets of Canterlot, however, while Luna and Scrivener were silently discussing what had happened mostly in thoughts and images traded between them, Barry suddenly unknowingly interrupted their mental conversation with the same question both soulbound ponies were asking each other: “So what the hell happened back there?” A pause, and then he asked almost hopefully: “Was that like. An adventure?” “If that was an adventure, then I am loathe to think of what must seem 'boring' to thou, Barry.” Luna said wryly, looking meditatively over her shoulder at the lanky stallion. “No, that was merely a misstep in the course of a normal day. A good day, even: why, earlier Scrivener Blooms was speaking about genitals, was he not? That is always the mark of a good day.” Scrivener sighed after a moment, rolling his eyes as Barry laughed a little despite himself, before the stallion added in a mutter: “I guess Luna's right, much as I hate to say those words. And to be entirely honest I'd much rather almost-die over deal with people.” Barry glanced up at this, and then he straightened and added awkwardly: “Then uh, champ, not to ruin your mood, but... did I tell you about your interview or not before we got attacked by those nasty little bugs?” Scrivener looked slowly over his shoulder, and Barry gave him a lame grin as the trio of ponies came to a halt on the sidewalk, ignoring the other ponies walking past and tossing them curious looks before Barry said finally: “Yeah, uh. Remember, you said yourself – and I stress this, that you asked me to set this up for you – that you wanted this interview with Ersatz Major and... I got it. It's gonna be in a few days.” “Oh. Oh, just peachy.” Scrivener said flatly, then he groaned and dropped his head forwards, muttering under his breath: “Just wonderful, really. Luna, this is no longer a good day, and... why the hell do I have to do this now? We. We possibly have a world to save, I call shenanigans, let's go save a world from evil, stupid book interviews with stupid critics can stupid... wait.” “Cease being a wimp, Scrivener Blooms. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to smite the vile creature.” Luna grumbled, and Scrivener mumbled a little in agreement as Barry winced a bit. “Thou should just pummel her. I do not think anypony would complain. She is but a scavenger, a vulture of the good of others.” The charcoal stallion almost felt like considering Luna's advice before Barry cut in hurriedly: “Now wait, wait, champ and Valk, this lady is a hotshot in a lot of social circles and we gotta concentrate on our objective here, right? We don't wanna piss off anyone, do we now? You wanna get published, ain't that right, we agreed to work together?” Scrivener Blooms mumbled a little, shifting a bit as Luna sighed and turned down a side alley, and Scrivener let himself fall back a bit as they headed towards where it dead-ended at a brick wall. “Barry, look. There's... there's a lot on my plate now. I have this... small mental issue... and now there's something bad happening in another layer of reality, and Luna and I are trying to get everyone organized so we can go and find out what's going on. The timing is really bad, is what I'm saying.” “Hey, champ, you're the one who wrote that you gotta deal with the cards as they're played, right?” Barry said pointedly, and Scrivener grumbled under his breath at this metaphor before he finally nodded grouchily to himself. “Exactly! So come on, pal, you know you gotta do this, and... well, think of the weight that'll be lifted off your shoulders once you go in there and get a few answers! But uh... well, since we're on the subject, the only thing is that Ersatz Major was very firm about one condition of her interview, and it's that she wants to deal with you alone. Neither of your uh... wives... can be present.” Scrivener grunted as Luna halted at the dead end, and then her horn glowed as she snorted in amusement and glanced dryly over her shoulder, saying sourly: “Wives. Well, I suppose we have been called worse, although... I don't know, Scrivy, I think after all my time with thou I have come to dislike the term. Idiot poet.” The charcoal stallion smiled despite himself as Barry looked awkwardly at Scrivener, but the larger earth pony only shook his head as Luna flicked her horn. A rumble emanated from the wall at the end of the alley before the bricks that made it up rapidly began to draw themselves apart, shifting and clicking themselves into new positions until they formed a large archway leading to a wide, twisting staircase, a bit of dust spilling down from between the bricks. Luna strode forwards after smiling over her shoulder, Scrivener following as Barry toddled along after them, and there was silence for a few moments before the agent finally asked dubiously: “So then, okay, like... what are you three, in that case?” “We just are.” Scrivener said after a moment, shrugging a bit before he shook his head and said softly: “Yeah, I mean... I guess when you stop and think about it-” “Then Scrivener Blooms and Twilight Sparkle are most certainly my wives, as I am clearly the husband in the relationship.” Luna interrupted as they headed down the dimly-lit stairs, and Scrivener grumbled as Barry grinned a little despite himself. “But 'tis just not terms we use. It does not feel like enough to describe the bond between us. “But I do not know if I can be apart from Scrivener for this.” Luna said simply, and Barry groaned, then opened his mouth... before frowning slowly as he looked awkwardly up and realized the ponies weren't joking around, they were serious. There was silence until they reached the bottom of the staircase, heading through an open gate and into a long tunnel lit by blue torches, leading into the streets of Subterra beyond. Luna and Scrivener took a pause here, trading a look... and with it, thoughts, emotions, memories and hesitations. But neither knew what to say, or what to do, and both were aware of Barry standing and staring at them questioningly, so finally Luna mentally nudged Scrivener and the stallion sighed tiredly, before the sapphire mare said pointedly: “'Tis thy friend, not mine. Or at least thy... I do not know. I am tempted to say 'servant.'” Scrivener grumbled a little under his breath, and then he shook his head as Barry looked up lamely before Scrivener said finally: “Look. I never really talked about some of the negative repercussions of the soul link but... with everything that's happened to me and Luna, and all the years we've spent like this, we've... tightened, so to speak. It's hard to put into words, but it's like... a spring, I guess. At first it can pull back and forth with ease, but... now, it's gotten brittle with all the use and it can't stretch as far. “Luna and I can't be apart anymore for more than an hour at most, before we both start to weaken. Nor can we go to great distances anymore without each other... it hurts us. It's like all our energy begins bleeding through our bodies, trying to get back together.” Scrivener traded a look with Luna, who smiled faintly as Barry looked at the two with surprise. “Either Luna's going to have to come to the interview with me or you're going to have to help us sneak her inside.” “What?” Barry winced at this, looking startled before the agent shook his head fiercely. “Oh no no no! Champ, you're a stud, but I don't want to risk my entire career over this! Look, Ersatz Major is a nasty critic, but Rogues And Studs is a very important hot or not magazine, and I really don't want an article done on me thank you very much. Not unless it's saying 'Barry Barter is the greatest agent ever.'” “You're a lame agent. You're the lamest agent ever if you don't do this for me. Do you want me to die and your paycheck to go out the window?” Scrivener asked dryly, and Barry looked dumbly across at him before Scrivener added sourly: “And after Ersatz is done molesting my corpse she'll probably sell pieces of me to the highest bidder or have me stuffed and mounted as a trophy. A trophy that will be a testament to your failure to protect your client.” “Why are you such an asshole?” Barry almost moaned, and Scrivener shrugged as he and Luna turned, striding down the tunnel side-by-side. For a few moments, the literary agent only stood and watched them, then he finally threw his head back with a silent yell of frustration before doggedly hurrying after the two. “Okay, okay! You win, I'll find a way to help you sneak the lady-champ in.” Luna grunted and nodded approvingly as Scrivener glanced over his shoulder, and then finally gave his own small nod of agreement, asking after a moment: “Then when's the interview, and where?” “At the Rogues And Studs building itself, two days' time.” Barry replied with a quick nod, and then he hesitated and said carefully: “And maybe we should get you... prepared. You know, get you ready for the questions that are undoubtedly going to be asked and uh... less... angry.” “I'm not angry. I'm rarely angry. I'm bitter and sarcastic and cynical and believe the world is out to get me.” Scrivener muttered, and then he traded a moody look with Luna. “Sorry, us. The worst part is that it's not paranoia because godawful stuff keeps happening to me. I mean us, yes, us.” Barry opened his mouth to reply, then simply closed it when he looked lamely back and forth at the demons, the Nightmares, the other creatures of darkness all around him. Luna looked over her shoulder curiously, and then Barry sighed tiredly and mumbled: “I don't even know anymore. All I know, stud, is that for all your complaining you seem to be popular enough with the ladies and get to stay in a haunted house kinda palace, except all the ghosts and demons and crazy stuff normal ponies are scared of are your friends.” Scrivener smiled a little despite himself as Luna shook her head, but the look she gave Barry was almost gentle even as a teasing expression played over her face. “And what, Barry, art thou jealous? 'Tis not so hard to befriend the darkness, I shall have thee know. It only requires... a little understanding, and a little courage.” Barry winced a little at this, looking lamely up before Luna nodded and gazed ahead with a wider smile, saying easily: “I do not know why, but it warms my heart to see thee a little envious. I think perhaps because one can only envy what one desires... and if ponies have started to want friendship from my servants of the night, then I can only be glad for it. Perhaps it means that everything I still find myself desiring, of an Equestria where darkness protects the light... 'tis not entirely in vain.” Scrivener nodded thoughtfully, and Barry shrugged lamely behind the sapphire mare before she traded a look with the charcoal stallion striding beside her, trading a smile and a few strange, blossoming hopes for the future. Top ↑